


The Eighth Name

by BinchJuice



Category: Wolf 359 (Radio)
Genre: Gen, Inconsistent chapter lengths, Introspection, The archive warnings are for much much much later, graphic threats towards others, ill add tags as i go, smug assholes named Rachel Young
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2019-06-14
Packaged: 2019-08-02 03:45:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16297529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BinchJuice/pseuds/BinchJuice
Summary: Rachel Young stood inside a sleek futuristic building. Rachel Young was being promoted. Rachel Young was being launched into space. Rachel Young was dying.A journey through Rachel Young's time as Rachel Young and working at Goddard.





	1. Goodbye Andrea Nash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn’t proofread this, so sorry if anything is janky :p

Andrea Nash walked in this name’s shoes for the last time. Andrea Nash had always worn flats. They were sensible, and after the scare of the fire, she had to become more sensible. Elizabeth Short was reckless and Andrea Nash couldn’t afford to be as such. But now she had to shed this name, again. 

How many times had she done this? More than three, Cutter had said. She supposed he was right. She couldn’t remember the name she was born with though, to be fair. Or at least not how it was spelled. Allison, Alison, Alyson. Which one was it? She didn’t know. She couldn’t care. She was on her eighth name now and she couldn’t help but feel a bit sad.

Andrea Nash had had a good long run of it. More than a few years, and as much as she’d put on a nonchalant face for Mr. Cutter back on the plane a few days ago, she wasn’t ready to put this life into the grave.

However, she roughly shook her head. She had to be ready. This new face would be ready for anything. Maybe she could go back to custom ordering heels. Make them clack on tiled floors as loud as they could. She certainly had to put the blonde hair deep deep deep in the ground. Put her makeup and contouring skills to good use. Andrea Nash could not look like whatever identity Mr. Cutter had drawn up for her.

She reached the Goddard Futuristics building. Or at least the office building Mr. Cutter worked at. It was on the edge of the company’s Canaveral campus. All sleek futuristic buildings that showcased an impressive amount of electric blue coils between the metallic black walls and reflective windows. The doors weren’t anything special, but doors were hardly very important. Except, of course, the security measures it could provide.

It didn’t matter. She checked the watch she had positioned just below the palm of her hand -for the last time- and nodded. She was about ten minutes early. Andrea Nash had always been ten minutes early. Just like Helena had been, or was it Emily? She sagged under the weight of yet another name. How long would she have this one? Andrea and Alison (Allison, Alyson) had the two longest runs, one for most of her childhood and one for half a decade. Would it be only a few months like Gwen?

She trembled as she finally opened the doors to the building. The walls were just like the outside, only you could see out the windows, There was no one at the front desk, or rather, there was no front desk. Looking around the room, she searched for something that might clue her in as to what she should do next. Finally her vision snagged on a camera that reminded her of the Sensus unit from the plane. Enlil? It sounded right anyway. The camera was as good an indication as any that there was someone here. Even if they weren’t human.

“Hello,” she ventured. The camera swiveled to her and wasn’t that a bit unnerving. At least she had its attention. “I have an appointment with Mr. Cutter at 10?”

A pleasant, saccharine voice responded overhead. “Ah yes, you must be Rachel Young!”

Rachel Young.

Hah, Cutter thought he was so funny. At the A.I. she nodded her head. “That’s me,” she threw in a wide smile for good effect.

“Hmm, yes. Well, he’s already up in his office, so I don’t believe there’s any harm in going up early,”

“Indeed,” Andrea Nash, now Rachel Young, strutted to the elevator that took the place of the front desk. “What floor is Mr. Cutter on?”

“Top floor, sir and/or ma’am!”

Rachel smirked, she supposed once you’d met one A.I. you’d met them all. “Please, call me Miss Young,”

“Of course Miss Young! Have a productive meeting, and I’ll see you out on your way back down!”

And with that, the elevator doors closed and Rachel Young pressed her delicately manicured thumb to the top-most button. Andrea Nash really was gone. Rachel Young let herself linger on that sadness for a moment more before shoving it down so deep she’d never find it again. The elevator doors opened and there stood Mr. Cutter.

“Rachel!” He exclaimed, throwing his arms out as if expecting a hug. Rachel got off the elevator and walked right past him.

“Mr. Cutter,”

“Please, call me Marcus,” she most certainly would not. “I took your suggestion and have put me and my employees on a first name basis!” It was not a suggestion, it was a very deliberate jab, and he knew it. “So, allow me to be the first to welcome you to the Goddard Futuristics family!”

“Is this your idea of a joke, sir?”

He walked around to face her. “Why, whatever do you mean Rachel?” He had a sick sense of humour.

“Just give me my files,” only a few minutes in and she not only wanted to punt Mr. Cutter off a nearby cliff, but Rachel Young as well. Mr. Cutter chuckled.

“But of course,” he handed her the thick stack of papers and gestured for her to take a seat. This was going to be a pain, she sorely hoped that Rachel Young would be the last name she ever had.

And though she didn’t know it, it would be. It very much would be.


	2. Oh Rachel!

Rachel fingered the slick metal on the tip of her heels. With the way the floors were at Goddard, this would certainly be a memorable part of her wardrobe. Clicking her acrylic nails against them once more, she slipped them onto her feet and looked in the mirror.

Sharp cheekbones and an even sharper mouth greeted her. Securing her new earrings into her ears, she gave her reflection an appraising glance before grabbing her car keys and driving to work, already dreading the day. Only a month into this whole thing with Goddard and already a small part of her hated all of it. And she heard the crux of that the moment she walked through the door.

“Oh Rachel!” She groaned internally. 

“Yes, Mr. Cutter?”

“What’s on my agenda for the day?” Rachel fumbled with her phone for a moment before pulling up all the apps she’d installed. 

“You were supposed to be at the board meeting about thirty minutes ago-“

“Yes, I just came from that meeting actually,”

“Okay. In five minutes, you have a meeting with your employees to discuss-“

“Cancel that for me actually,” Rachel snarled and tapped her fingers in quick succession, notifying the entire communications department before deleting the appointment from Mr. Cutter’s mandatory schedule. “Why Rachel, you look so tense?” And that, ironically, made Rachel tense harder.

“Do I?” She looked up from her cluttered phone. “Why sir, I never even noticed,” she drawled out, aiming her voice to his jugular. 

Mr Cutter smiled wide. Too wide, really. “Have you considered taking a vacation?” Rachel hadn’t thought her frown could deepen.

“No sir, I haven’t. I don’t think it’s necessary either,” and without missing a beat she continued. “In fifteen minutes you have a meeting with the R&D department.” She hoped and prayed that he wouldn’t do anything to this appointment.

“Of course,” his eyes crinkled at their corners. “You have a nice day now!” She watched him leave and quickly sent all of his agendas to his email. He’d find them… or her. Whichever he saw first.

“Ms. Young?” The speakers chimed. Rachel merely scowled as the communications department’s resident A.I. butted into her business yet again.

“What is it?”

“Why do you have so many apps for the same thing?”

“Free things don’t give you full functionality, Iris,”

“I see, carry on then, Ms. Young,” Rachel gave a sharp nod and did just that, going down the first hallway into a cramped little space. She hadn’t decorated it yet. Maybe she never would. She was still ironing out Rachel Young’s idiosyncrasies. She wore tall, loud, and intimidating high heels, but did she decorate her office? Andrea hadn’t. Then again, Andrea hadn’t had an office. 

Rachel looked around, maybe some fake flowers, that’d probably be fine. She didn’t particularly want to decorate the office, but she had to be Rachel Young. And as she now decided, Rachel Young wasn’t big in decoration, but she could do with small things. At the very least she wasn’t going to put up those ridiculous motivational posters that Cutter had littered his office with.

Ridding her mind of her least favorite place in the world, Rachel sat down at her computer, cracking her knuckles in preparation of the fallout of that canceled meeting.

And as she expected, the entire communications department had rained down their righteous fury upon her. Ah the perks of being Cutter’s secretary, everyone angry at Cutter but too scared to take it out on him. She read over the first few emails to see if they actually differed, and surprise surprise, they didn’t. So Rachel felt perfectly comfortable sending an email en masse instead of the individualized emails she’d tried her first week. She had very quickly learned that she wasn’t patient enough or empathetic enough to actually manage that for much longer, so Rachel Young would have to be the same.

She was in the the throes of composing the emails and switching between apps to check all of Cutter’s schedules, just to see where she could try and fit in a department wide meeting. Occasionally, an app or another would snag this operation, but Rachel was still too stubborn to pay for the rest of the apps. Before she’d found a time, and after she’d been doing this for a sizable amount of time, a brisk knock to her door broke her out of email hell.

“Oh Rachel!” And right back into hell of a different kind.

“Come in, Mr. Cutter,” Rachel grumbled, saving the draft of her email and shutting off her phone. She fiddled with her nails a bit as Cutter strode in, seemingly in a better mood -if at all possible- from earlier. Rachel pitied the poor fool who Cutter had probably exploded at. With a grand flourish that made Rachel roll her eyes, he sat down in the chair provided in front of Rachel’s desk. “What did you need sir?”

“Oh!” He exclaimed, feigning at being taken off kilter, something Rachel knew was a patented lie. “Just wanted to see how you were settling in before I dumped some more work into your lap!” He giggled a little, crossing his legs. Rachel was slightly disturbed, never wanting to hear a giggle come out of Cutter’s mouth again, but she forced herself to ignore it. She’d have to get used to the man eventually.

“Fine, Mr. Cutter. The office needs a tad decoration, but I’m,” And here she used extremely heavy finger quotes, hoping to perfectly capture how much she did not want to have this conversation. “‘Settling in’ just fine. Now, how in the world did you make it out of your meeting with the R&D department so fast?” She rested her chin primly on the back of her hands and did her best impersonation of Cutter’s smile.

Cutter merely flapped his hands about, brushing off the question. “The head of the department gave me the rundown of what she needed and sent me off. I’ll admit, I was hoping for a lengthier conversation…”

“So you decided to come bother me,”

“Oh, well, don’t look at it that way! Just getting to know you! Couldn’t help but notice that… hmm, how to put this?”

“Frankly would be your best option,” Rachel snapped, rapping her fingernails insistently on her desk.

“Of course, I strive to be nothing less,” Cutter replies, flashing an award-winning smile that made Rachel’s stomach churn. “But I just could not help but notice that Andrea is just a tad different from you, Ms. Young,” Rachel’s mouth edged into a crooked grin. 

“They’re two different people, sir. Wouldn’t do to maintain the exact same personality. Besides, at least my personality is tolerable, Mr. Cutter. If I’m allowed to be frank as well,” and her grin twisted into a sneer, and her eyes bored into his. Cutter stared right back, face still set in a smile usually only seen on those who suffered through customer service and retail work.

And breaking into her own sickeningly saccharine smile, Rachel continued as if the mini stand-off they’d just had, hadn’t happened. “Now, tell me, did you get my email on your agenda, or did you forget that you have work of your own to do for the next three hours?”

“Mm, yes, I did. Figured I’d just leave some of mine with you. Just to keep you occupied. I sent you the email with your work already, so I’ll get out of your hair now,”

“Goodbye sir,”

“Goodbye Rachel, I’ll check up on you later,” and then he left. Rachel scoffed a bit at the interaction, and went back to her email. She’d get to the work Cutter didn’t want to do himself later. Right then, she still had to deal with the increasing emails of the communications department. She could get hired for an HR position at this rate. She wouldn’t accept, but she’d be more efficient than the rest of them anyway. Snorting, she pressed send.

Speaking of more efficient, Rachel looked down at her phone and sighed. Upgrading to premium on at least one of those apps would only be a dollar anyway. So, sighing, she unlocked her phone and did just that. She supposed Rachel’s main quality could be streamlined. It certainly wouldn’t be a bad quality to have. Now to get back to work, she opened the email Cutter had sent her.

Staring at all of the links, Rachel felt the keen realization that it was going to be a long workday, and she hadn’t even gotten a phone call yet. “Oh Rachel,” She snarked to herself, opening the first link. A long workday indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmm, I’ve technically had this one finished for a week or so, but I was hoping to proofread it before I posted. School got in the way of that, but luckily with the time in between from when I finished it to now, I was able to pick out any mistakes or weird wording. Might not have caught it all though. It’s also longer than the last chapter? Sooo, yeah! Hope you enjoyed!


	3. Rachel Hates Company Mixers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> and I hate writing them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> though on the bright side, I finally figured out italics.

Rachel looked around at the mixer, asking herself once again why she had shown up. She had brief memories of one of the more forgettable Communications employees asking her if she’d come to a company mixer. Said employee was currently seated to her right, and her name was Cindy. _If Cindy hadn’t come from a trust fund and bribed her way in, she’d probably be a receptionist_ , was a thought that had crossed Rachel’s mind several times this evening. She had miraculously held herself back from saying anything, but she was losing her grip on her ironclad control as Cindy screeched in conversation with Communications resident slacker, Greg. Rachel honestly wasn’t sure how he hadn’t been fired yet and if there was one person in the bar she wanted dead more than Cindy, it was Greg. Though to be fair to Greg, she wanted Cindy dead too. 

“So Rachel, where are you from?” Cindy asked, voice so high-pitched, it could have been a dog whistle.

“The states,” Rachel deadpanned, long since disinterested in what these two dolts called polite conversation.

Cindy, unfortunately, found that hilarious, because she let out a laugh that sounded like ten crows were getting ran over. “You’re _sooo_ funny Rachel!” and Rachel could only think, _I wish you didn’t._

“But seriously,” Greg said from behind her, causing Rachel to jump. When did he even _move_? “Where ya from? Texas, New York? Rhode Island, maybe?” and maybe in better circumstances, Rachel would have actually tried to remember her cover. However, that was not these circumstances and if Rachel had the choice of launching these two off a cliff to the deep annals of a whirlpool with electricity flowing through it, she would. They would be dead before she could even blink. 

“I don’t see why it’s important,”

“We’re just trying to get to know you. After all, Cutter’s last assistant was so fun,” the way Greg said that made Rachel bristle.

“And was so nice,” 

“What, are you trying to get onto Cutter’s good side or something?” Rachel growled, slamming a drink to the back of her throat. The two sputtered and babbled. 

“Ah, no- that’s- no that wasn’t my intention,”

“I doubt that matters very much. All I can see, however, is two pathetic weaklings who aren’t going to last another month in this company,” 

“Oh yeah?” Greg sneered, pushing closer to Rachel, clearly trying to be intimidating. “You’re just going to end up like Cutter’s last assistant, you know?”

“Wretched and unimportant,” 

Cindy tried to look nonchalant, as she swirled her drink in its glass. Rachel, however, couldn’t help but break into laughter. “Wretched and unimportant, huh? Are the two of you sure you weren’t just describing yourselves? Because if I didn’t know any better, I’d say that that was a threat. One that you have no hope of following through on, and you know what happens to people who can’t follow through on threats?” 

Cindy and Greg continued to glare, perhaps a bit angrier than before.

“They don’t tend to last long. Because if you can’t follow through, you can’t outlast, which means?”

No answer.

“Well? Show me how smart you kids are,”

“Why don’t you tell us if you’re so smart,” Cindy sniffed.

“I suppose if you’re so scared of showing your incompetence… It means that you have no chance in life and you will die forgotten and alone. Now if you excuse me, I prefer better company than the slackers who had to pay their way in on Mommy and Daddy’s trust funds. I eagerly await the day that I get to sign your severance checks.” With that, Rachel stood up and walked away from the bar to the far outreaches of the room, away from anyone so much as looking up from their conversation.

She stared resolutely down at her glass, allowing her anger to simmer into its normal state of apathy. She could practically feel Greg and Cindy’s glares from across the room, and while she felt satisfied with the end of the conversation, she couldn’t help but feel frustrated. Coming to Goddard Futuristics was supposed to give her a _purpose_. Something to be a part of, and despite her big talk, she wasn’t exactly moving up yet. 

She knew more than Greg and Cindy would ever get to in their miserable, pathetic lives, and yet she was stuck being Cutter’s personal assistant, standing around some ridiculous company mixer. 

Scoffing, Rachel decided that she didn’t have nearly enough alcohol in her system, and moved to the bar again, far away from Cindy and Greg. She ended up sliding onto a stool beside a man with his muscles bulging through his ill-fitting suit on her left, and a man with a clean-shaven face, sitting primly. Rachel rolled her eyes but ordered herself a drink between the two nonetheless. 

“Martini, please,” the bartender nodded, moving skillfully by her coworkers. Her silky brown hair pulled taut into a ponytail, accentuating her curves. Rachel let her gaze linger for a second before turning her eyes to the counter. 

“Do you take yours shaken or stirred?” the bartender asked, and if Rachel had looked up, she would have seen a crooked smile and hopeful eyes staring back. She did not, however, and merely stated her answer. 

“Stirred, please,”

“Oh, no James Bond I see,” the man from her right said, voice smooth like honey. Rachel immediately wanted to punch him. She was _not_ drunk enough for this.

“Is drinking in silence no longer an option for someone, anymore?” she asked, long-suffering and planning her escape. The man just kept on talking. Rachel felt her eye twitch, the anger from earlier resurfacing. The cute bartender slid her her drink, and Rachel took it graciously. Clearly she would need it if this man’s mouth stayed open much longer.  
…

Half an hour later and he was still talking. Rachel wanted to kill him slowly, her grip on her drink tightening to a frightening degree. It was her third drink and she still wasn’t drunk enough for this. Finally, she’d had enough. The alcohol flowing through her veins lowered her inhibitions, and where she would normally have gone for snide verbal snaps, she instead dumped the rest of her martini over his head, snatched his alcohol from his and took a long sip. Some stupidly expensive whiskey slid down her throat like oil.

“Ooh, classy. Like expensive more than tasteful. Like your mouth. How about you shut up and go kiss someone’s ass with it.” she slurred, dropping the now empty tumbler on the counter, making eye contact with the man.

Rachel didn't remember anything else from that night. All she knew was that she found someone she hated more than David Clarke. His name was Warren Kepler, and the feeling was completely mutual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah! It's been a while, so I apologize. School's been kicking my ass, and I wrote chapter three, only to think that there should be a chapter in between it. So now that's chapter four, and this is chapter three. Feedback would be appreciated, because I'll be honest here, I don't feel very confident about this chapter, but it felt weird shoving in greg and cindy in the next chapter when they hadn't even reared their ugly heads. It's a bit of a departure from the past two chapters, so I would like to know if it still lived up to expectations! _Especially_ in regards to characterizations.
> 
> See you in the next chapter, I'll probably post it next week or so.


	4. Moving Up

It had been six months, and the office looked relatively the same. The only difference was the vase of flowers, long-since dead that perched precariously on the corner of Rachel’s desk. Paper was stacked methodically, and Rachel’s fingers flew across the keyboard as she dictated the emails being sent in Mr. Cutter’s stead. She’d gotten the hang of having his work dumped on her lap, and she had also mastered Cutter’s particular brand of colorful threats. It really was an effective way to get people to do what she wanted, and quickly. It wasn’t as effective in her own emails, but man did it bring her great amounts of joy to tell Greg that she would burn his head to a stump if he didn’t do his damn work. Which was what she was currently doing. What could she say, she was an excellent multi-tasker.

“For the last time, Greg, I couldn’t care less even if I tried really, _really_ hard!” Rachel railed against Greg with a smile borne of frustration and anger. “Now, if you burst into my office like this again, I will personally make sure that some awful accident befalls you! So, how about you run along before you won’t even be able to collect your severance pay when you finally get fired.”

“Is that a threat, Rachel?”

“Why yes Greg! How astute of you to notice! Maybe you do have some worth after all, except, wait… you never use that wit. Do you.” 

Rachel was about to continue when she heard Cutter’s telltale, “Oh Rachel!” Through the thin wooden door. Greg paled and Rachel sighed. She didn’t get paid enough for this.

“Beat it, Greg,” she snapped out, and instead of arguing like he had for a while, he ran as fast as he could, out the door, almost bumping into Cutter on the way out. “Hello, Mr. Cutter, come on in.” And he did, making himself comfortable on the chairs in front of her desk. 

“Hello Rachel, any messages for me?” 

“Yes sir, here they are,” and with no small amount of satisfaction, Rachel handed over a five-inch stack of papers. She could practically feel Cutter grimace under his ever-present smile.  
“Please respond to them promptly,”

“Of course, Rachel. Now, do you know why I’m here?”

“Supposedly to do what you do whenever you come into my office, dump a bunch of work into my lap.” 

Cutter chuckled. “Well, that is certainly true, but actually, I’m promoting you.” Rachel’s eyes widened and she felt what must have been excitement for her first time as Rachel Young.

“To what sir?” she asked, barely able to contain herself.

“You’ll be helping David manage Communications for now, and I’ll see where you should go from there.” Rachel made a slight face at the mention of the man she’d miraculously been able to avoid for the past six months as the Communications Department's resident secretary. However, she decided to focus on the positive. 

“Does this mean I get a different office or…”

“Oh don’t get ahead of yourself, Rachel!” Cutter smiled widely and Rachel could just barely keep her face from going into a scowl. “We can talk about that a bit later, don’t you think? Besides, you have a meeting to get to! David’s waiting for you outside, do you want me to tidy up your office for you?”

“Do _not_ ,” Rachel snarled, getting up out of her desk and heading to the door. When she opened it, there stood David, just as she remembered him. 

“Ah, Miss Young, may I assume that Mr. Cutter told you-”

“Yes David, let’s just get this over with.” David nodded in agreement and walked off down the hallway, with Rachel on his heels, updating her calendar and seeing if Cutter had deigned to give her her new agenda. He hadn’t, but she’d finagle it out of someone later. She supposed that now that she wasn’t the secretary to the Head of Communications, she’d be seeing less of him. 

Or more, considering how many times the Managers and Head of Communications met. That wasn’t a pleasant thought, so she promptly turned her attention away from it, and instead focused on the people looking out of their cubicles at her. She sneered at them all and made sure she pressed down her heels very sharply on the floor. The moment may have been ruined for her, just a bit, but she still felt an immense amount of pride in knowing that she just gained a significant amount of clout around here. They wouldn’t get to ignore her now. She felt a savage grin carve itself onto her face as David led her to one of the Communications Departments many conference rooms. _All the better to communicate_ , Rachel snarked to herself. 

She waited a moment to see if David was going to open his ugly mouth and tell her what sort of meeting it was, and he looked to be on the verge of it, but Rachel decided that she very sorely did not want to hear it. Her days of never seeing David were over and she wanted to relish whatever silence she could wrangle from him that she could get.

So she opened the doors, tempted to shut them in David’s face, though she managed to restrain herself. Maybe later. It’d be a bit of a fun hobby, perhaps, to do around the office. Inside was a large table. It was empty and only had two chairs. Rachel groaned internally, it appeared that David was going to be the only other person in this meeting. They would have to talk. Now Rachel suddenly understood Cutter’s aversions to meetings and all the ridiculous ways he tried to squirm out of them, because that’s what she herself was going to try to do.

“So, what's this meeting about, David?” She asked, perching herself on the edge of the table and focusing her glare on her nails, trying to appear disinterested. She thought she succeeded by the huff and grumble that came David’s way.

“As you know, you’ve been promoted-“

“Nooo, really? I hadn’t noticed. Thought it might’ve been a joke,”

“Of course Miss Young, I’m sure,”

“So is this meeting just a confirmation of what I already know, or is there a point to this, hmm?” She injected her voice with enough cloying honey to get David to scowl, and she mentally patted herself on the back for that one. Never gets old.

“This meeting is to bring you up to speed on your managerial duties. You would’ve met the Director, but-“

”I’ve already met him and he doesn’t deign to show up to meetings half the time anyway,” Rachel finished the sentence for him, well aware who they were talking about. It was the first and last time David and Rachel would agree on anything, both sharing a darkened scowl as they thought of the hassle it always caused them. Rachel, dealing with the fallout, and David often going to said meetings in Cutter’s stead. That is, if he didn’t outright cancel them. Though luckily he didn’t pull that one outside of his own department. Rachel didn’t need other departments coming down on her head. Or rather, hadn’t. 

“Yes… that. Do take care to not say that in his general direction of course,”

“Oooof course. Thank you _ever_ -so-much David for the reminder that I absolutely couldn’t figure out myself.” David actually growled at that one, which made Rachel’s lips stretch into a wide grin. Despite how much she hated being in the same room as him, causing him frustration was so satisfying. 

The meeting continued like that for a few more minutes, before Rachel decided she had what she needed and David decided he was edging too close out of his carefully curated calm. So when David finally came to a stopping point, Rachel smiled -taking no small amount of pleasure from David’s resulting grimace. “So glad we had this chat, David, let’s never do this again.”

“Agreed,”

And with that, Rachel swept out of the conference room. “Now, where’s my new office?” David pointed it out and Rachel nodded sharply, before making her way back to her old office to move her things. Might as well make Cutter’s next personal secretary start from square one.

As she packed her things, she heard a snicker from the doorway. It was Greg and his lackey, Cindy. “Finally get fired, eh?” Greg drew out every word, aiming to kill. Unfortunately he was aiming at the wrong spot, so Rachel shot him a smile that cut like glass and spoke with a tone that was ready to abuse her newfound power and make Greg regret every moment he hadn’t listened to Rachel.

“No, not as such,” Rachel slowly dusted herself off and took two steps towards Greg, his smug face looking suspicious. “In fact, I just got promoted,”

“To what? Janitor?” Cindy shot in, as if she actually mattered in this conversation at all. As if either of them mattered, in the bigger picture. Rachel allowed herself a chortle before delivering her killing blow, and this finally unnerved these idiots.

“Manager actually. Of Communications.” Greg and Cindy blanched as Rachel put out her hand to shake, as if meeting them for the first time. “I’m your new boss.” She paused, drinking in their surprised, and all together, furious faces. “Now, get back to work before I skin you alive and use it to make myself some new shoes,” Haha, oh yes, Rachel could get used to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IlL pOsT tHe NeXt ChApTeR iN a WeEk
> 
> _One month later_


	5. Partner? He can't even have friends!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love the wild vacillation of chapter title lengths. is it two words or fifty? that's for me to not know until i'm at the update works screen and for you to find out once i've updated >:)
> 
> also, sidenote, the chapter title today comes from my favorite line in this chapter! not important to the story that you know this, but its important to me.

Rachel’s fingers tapped lightly on the table, the boring voice of some schmuck from one of the endless R&D divisions droning on. This was the fifth meeting this week that she and David, or rather, Clarke, had gone to instead of Cutter. This would have been tolerable had it not been Tuesday. However, it was, and Rachel was sick of taking notes and doing Cutter’s job for him. It was like being his secretary, but worse.

Her phone buzzed against her thigh, and she briefly looked up to see if the boring speech about how they’d made some minor improvements to the solar panels on the market had reached something she could actually pass on. The man continued to use superfluous adjectives in lieu of actually speaking, so Rachel turned her attention to her phone screen.

It was Greg. Because of course it was. He had yet another question about the work he should have done a month ago. Rachel would have to talk to Cutter about it later. First, she had to get out of this damned meeting, so she could deal with Greg’s bullshit in person. It was better than this, and Clarke could take notes. Might as well make use of the two managers for a department that really wasn’t that big. All to Cutter’s advantage, Rachel figured. 

With a plan forming in her mind like larvae, she held a tight grip on her phone and waited for a lull in the speech. Once the man took a breath, she launched her phone out from under the table. 

“Oh goodness, I’m going to have to duck out of this meeting,” she announced, pushing herself up out of her chair with the force of a startled horse. Clarke sent a warning glare at her, but she stretched her grin wide across her face and continued to speak before anyone in the conference room could argue. “There’s an emergency that needs my immediate attention. Luckily, Mr. Clarke here can handle the rest for you all. Have a wonderful day!” Then her heels clicked as she pushed herself out the door. 

Once it was shut behind her, she leaned against it for a brief moment, and took a breath. “Thank _god _,” then, she propelled herself down the hall towards the miracle that had motivated her to get out of the meeting.__

__She swept between the masses of cubicles, maneuvering her way around, until she stood in front of Greg’s desk. Rachel slammed her hands down on the desk, satisfied when Greg jumped and then looked up._ _

__“O-oh! Boss! I thought you were in a meeting,”_ _

__“Sending emails while I’m in a meeting, contrary to popular belief, doesn’t _actually _stop me from seeing the email.” Rachel paused for effect, taking in Greg’s sour face. She leaned in close, until she could see the twitch in his eye. “I see you’re finally starting on that work project I gave you last month.”___ _

____“Yes, I am... um, being super productive. Just had a- question,” Greg broke eye contact as soon as he could._ _ _ _

____“I’m sure. Well, luckily for you, I was able to duck out of my meeting. How can I help you do your job?” Rachel grinned, beginning to drum her nails on Greg’s desk. She could practically see his anger grow. “Because everything you need to know is there, and according to the email, it wasn’t enough?”_ _ _ _

____Greg bolstered his voice and talked back. “Yeah, I’m missing some of the stats for the uh-”_ _ _ _

____“R &D departments?”_ _ _ _

____“Yeah! The R &D departments, and well…”_ _ _ _

____“Well! If that’s the case, I’ll just call Mr. Cutter down, and get a copy of the stats to give to you,” Greg looked uncomfortable at the very mention of Mr. Cutter, and boy Rachel enjoyed watching him squirm. The only reason she’d put off any mentions of firing him for so long._ _ _ _

____“Th-that won’t be necessary, ma’am.”_ _ _ _

____“Oh, but every single page of stats is important for you to do your job,” Greg deliberately avoided eye contact and Rachel was enjoying this so much more than the meeting she’d been in not ten minutes ago. Reaching into her pocket, Rachel made a show of pulling out her phone. “Here, I’ll just call him right now!”_ _ _ _

____“No- nonono, that will not be necessary,” Greg looked almost manic with panic now as he practically tore his desk apart. “See, I have the stats sheet right here. I just misplaced it… or something,”_ _ _ _

____“Oh _do _stop terrorizing him, Miss Young,” a voice came unbidden from behind her, sounding borderline amused.___ _ _ _

______Rachel turned to see another woman, about as tall as Rachel was with her heels on, -though the woman wasn't wearing any- long, wavy red hair that curled around a pair of plain, dark and opaque sunglasses. The woman was wearing something rumpled and vaguely professional, a white coat of sorts slung over her shoulder. She gave Rachel an acerbic smile before Rachel deigned to respond._ _ _ _ _ _

______“And who might you be?” Rachel almost snarled before pasting on the fakest smile ever. It still managed to make Greg wince however, though the woman was unaffected._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Marcus’s partner, he’s told me all about you,” the woman almost crooned. Almost. She didn’t quite seem capable of that particular range of emotions. It took Rachel an embarrassingly long time to connect the name Marcus with Mr. Cutter. Which, partner? Surely the woman couldn’t have meant marriage or romance. Cutter was too annoying to even have friends. It was extremely disturbing to entertain for even a moment._ _ _ _ _ _

______“All good things I hope,” Rachel covered up her musings with the offer of a handshake._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Of course, we’ll see if you live up to all that praise. Goodbye Miss Young, we’ll have to be properly introduced some other time,” and then the woman walked off, leaving a very confused Rachel in her wake, her hand still outstretched. Though she pulled it back quickly_ _ _ _ _ _

______“What just happened?” Greg asked, putting forth the question that was on both their minds, and probably everyone in the surrounding cubicles if they’d been paying attention. Rachel had to quickly kill that chumminess as soon as possible._ _ _ _ _ _

______“It won’t matter if you don’t have that stats sheet,” Rachel growled on instinct, shoving off of Greg’s desk and forgetting the strange encounter ever happened. It would take her the rest of the day to realize she hadn't even gotten the woman's name, though if she was only Cutter's partner, it probably wouldn't matter, right? As perturbing as imagining Mr. Cutter kissing someone, or anything of the sort, Rachel never had to think of it ever again. That "proper introduction" would never arrive and Rachel could get back to work._ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha, i'd apologize for how long it took me to finish this, but for the longest time i wasn't sure how to move on after rachel came in guns blazin at greg's desk. which is where i gave up on this chapter for a little while completely forgetting to come back to it. then one night i was reminiscing over my favorite character in wolf 359 (miranda pryce) and it came to me. that the evil bitch should make a bit of a cameo before rachel is launched into the sun when cutter officially introduces the two. i'm not entirely satisfied with the ending, but this chapter was taking too long to come out and when i'd added miranda it grew to a good enough length compared to how it was before, so oh well.
> 
> should i feel ashamed for having miranda pryce as my favorite character? who cares, cuz she is, and i'm glad she's finally made it into the story, though this story is still rachel pov. though if anyone would be interested in reading the accrued drabbles from other povs connected to this story, just shoot me a comment. have a nice day, and let's cross our fingers that i update a bit faster next time ;p

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo, this is my first finished fan fiction that will see the light of day! I’m sorry if anyone is out of character, please tell me as such in the comments. And while I say finished, this is probably gonna turn into a multi chapter whenever I don’t want to work on the one shot I’ve got in the works. Anyway, comments are appreciated and thanks for taking the time to read this!


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